Long before Colorado adopted legislation that would allow mothers to drop off their unwanted babies at hospital emergency rooms or fire stations without having to worry about being prosecuted for child abandonment or neglect, Lakewood resident Carole Haas realized it was one thing to feel shaken to the core every time she heard about a newborn being shoved into a Dumpster or left by the side of the road, and quite another to do something about it.
The year was 1986, and Haas decided there was no time like the present to take action. So she started Bridgeway – on little more than a wing and a prayer. It would be a nonprofit agency that would assist unwed mothers between ages 16 and 21 by not only giving them a place to live and nourishing food as they prepared to give birth but also access to classes that would steer them toward making healthy choices in life.
Last Friday night, 420 friends of Bridgeway gathered at Belmar Event Center in Lakewood for a fundraising dinner, auction and dance chaired by Judy Cozzens and Terry Hill. While the net profit is still being determined, it is expected to be a record-breaking amount, thanks in large part to the skill of auctioneer Gary Corbett, who had no problem getting people to open their wallets wide.
Some items he sold twice, such as a studio tour and live broadcast viewing donated by CBS 4 anchor Molly Hughes, Bridgeway to Hope’s honorary chair. He also got Mark Campbell, treasurer of the Bridgeway board, to write a $20,000 check during the time set aside for people to offer outright donations in amounts starting at $100.
Hughes, who also helped KOSI personality Murphy Houston emcee, warned guests that they’d likely be shedding tears as the evening wore on, so it was appropriate to discover that the pink tulip centerpieces from Lehrer’s weren’t the only things decorating each table: packets of Kroger tissues, donated by King Soopers, were there too. King Soopers president Russ Dispense and his wife, Debbie, are longtime Bridgeway supporters.
State Sen. Joan Fitz-Gerald and attorney Steve Farber were able to stop by during the silent auction social that preceded dinner, mixing and mingling with a crowd that included Lakewood Mayor Steve Burkholder and his wife, Ann; Jefferson County Judge Ruthanne Polidori and State Court of Appeals Judge Henry Nieto, who were there with spouses Gary Polidori and Robbie Nieto; University of Phoenix regional executive Debra Baldwin Pain and her husband, Bill Pain; Kevin and Shannon Byerly of Lehrer’s Flowers; and Randy and Dawn Rehbein of the benefit’s presenting sponsor, Statewide Wholesale.
Other guests included Haas’ sister and brother-in-law, Lynn and attorney Ralph Torres; John and Rosemary Priester; Jim and Maureen Soran; Gelfond Hochstadt Pangburn’s Jerry Kaiser and his wife, Hilde Gill Kaiser; insurance man Dennis Cirbo; Amanda Woods; Zach McGuire; and an ex-resident who told how Bridgeway put her life on track.
Society editor Joanne Davidson can be reached at 303-809-1314 or jmdpost@aol.com.
